NEW PRESIDENT OF CHINA UNICOM

　　Chen Zhongyue， former Deputy General Manager of China Telecom， has been was appointed the new president of China United Network Communications Group （China Unicom） after the post remained vacant for 10 months.
　　Chen， 50， started his professional career in 1990 after graduating from Shanghai Posts and Telecommunications College. He got an Executive MBA from Xiamen University in 2011.
　　Before the transfer， he worked for China Telecom for three decades in different positions. He is also director of China Unicom’s board.

Marine Microplastics

　　People’s Daily January 18
　　China’s 37th Antarctic expedition has been underway for over two months. Monitoring new pollutants such as microplastics is part of its mission.
　　Microplastics have been detected during many scientific expeditions in recent years. Compared with regular plastics， the pollutant with a diameter of less than 5 mm is difficult to detect and has potential hazards. It can come from the packaging of personal care products， cleaning agents and other things， flowing into the sea.
　　In 2015， the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environment Protection， a UN advisory body， evaluated microplastics’ impact. Due to its small size， it can be ingested by marine animals and the toxic ingredients can be fatal.
　　China， a major manufacturer of plastic products， is trying to reduce marine waste at its source. Public awareness of the harmful impact of plastics has increased and today， in the coastal areas， more and more volunteers are participating in cleaning-up activities under the local authorities’ guidance.

Consumer Loans

　　China Newsweek January 11
　　A consumption revolution is taking place in China， led by the youth.
　　Consumption is playing an increasingly important role in China’s economic growth， a report released by international market research company Nielsen in 2019 said.

　　According to the report， people born after 1990 accounted for nearly 24 percent of Chinese consumers. In five to 10 years， they will dominate both China’s and the global consumption pattern.The recent years have seen rapid changes in young people’s lifestyle. Today， various platforms， such as training， e-commerce and medical cosmetic procedures， provide loans targeted at different groups like university students， people starting their careers， and employees wanting to rent apartments. Almost every scenario has spawned a corresponding pattern for people to borrow to spend. 　　“Some consumer credit products are inducing the young generation to borrow money and spend in advance. This is not only an economic and financial phenomenon but also a cultural and demographic one with profound impact，”Zhou Xiaochuan， former Governor of the central bank， said.
　　Chen Zhiwu， head of the Asia Global Institute at the University of Hong Kong， thinks borrowing to spend can help young people develop financial planning. “In developed countries such as the U.S. a financing culture has been formed among young people under the pressure of paying mortgages，” he said， adding that borrowing money can force them to work harder to earn a higher salary.

AI Education

　　China Education Daily January 18
　　Today， artificial intelligence （AI） is a popular subject among teenagers around the world. AI education focuses on data， algorithms and computing， teaching students to write programs.
　　Algorithm and programming are essential parts of AI but are generally taught in universities. Students need to have a good foundation in maths and computer science.
　　However， AI education for teenagers should be designed according to the extent of their knowledge and learning capacity rather than the content in university classes.
　　A scientific understanding of AI should be listed in education and values. Teenagers are in a critical period of life when their worldview takes shape. As AI education is popularized， they need guidance from schools， parents and society so that they have the ethics to apply AI in the future without harming others.

CHINESE DEBUTANT WINS SNOOKER MASTERS

　　Chinese debutant Yan Bingtao clinched the Snooker Masters title on January 17， becoming the youngest Masters champion since Ronnie O’Sullivan won the event in 1995 at the age of 19.
　　The 20-year-old became the second Asian winner of the prestigious tournament， showing maturity beyond his years to defeat four-time world champion John Higgins 10-8 in an enthralling final in Milton Keynes， the United Kingdom.
　　“I thought I might win， and I even thought how I would celebrate. But when the victory came， I was calm，” Yan said.
　　The win earned him 250，000 pounds （$340，000）， and in many observers’ estimations， has transformed the Chinese No.2 into a contender for the world championship in April.
　　Yan joined the pro tour in 2016 and has been steadily improving with a championship last season.
　　“More than 39 million doses of vaccine have now been administered in at least 49 higher-income countries. Just 25 doses have been given in one lowest-income country. The world is on the brink of a catastrophic moral failure.” 　　Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus， Director General of the World Health Organization （WHO）， reproving the lack of vaccines for poor countries at the 148th Session of the WHO executive board on January 18
　　“Biden might continue to pile pressure to make China give way and change itself. But such an approach will lead the U.S. onto the old path of competition， which will not redress the continued decline.”
　　Sun Chenghao， an assistant research fellow with the Institute of American Studies at China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations， in Global Times on January 17
　　“The digitization proposed by the Belt and Road Initiative could have a transformative effect. Through the digital economy， Africa will leverage e-commerce to ensure that goods can reach international markets.”
　　Edward Kusewa， an economics lecturer at the St. Paul University in Nairobi， Kenya， to Xinhua News Agency on January 15
　　“Amidst the once-in-a-century paradigm shift in global power， Hong Kong does not need to prevent the U.S. or any other foreign financial institution from leaving， but should instead welcome mainland and overseas investors to fill the openings for long-term growth.”
　　Zhou Bajun， a senior research fellow at China Everbright Holdings， in China Daily on January 20